Everything Wrong with Justice League!

This weekend, we decided to watch the much anticipated Justice League Movie. I will spare you my thoughts on the movie and instead hand over to my hubby, who did this review:

Let’s start off by saying it’s an enjoyable movie, anwyay…. but it certainly does not live up to expectations, and for a movie as big as this, it does not go unnoticed.

Marvel has the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), while DC Comics has the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Marvel Studios has set an extremely high standard when it comes to superhero ensembles, in the form of Avengers. DC Comic has just recently started…..first with Batman v Superman and now with Justice League.

I must admit that Justice League is definitely better than Batman v Superman, but Batman v Superman certainly did not set the bar very high, so that argument is moot. So where did it all go wrong with Justice League?

Firstly, the CGI at times is quite appalling. For a movie of this magnitude, one would have expected better……a lot better. But it never delivers and that is a huge disappointment.

I must admit, and this is a personal preference, but 3D movies are something I have always had reservations about. The technology has huge potential towards creating rich and immersive cinematic experiences. IMAX has proven that time and time again, and I thoroughly enjoy IMAX experiences.

I have yet to watch a 3D movie on the big screen, where the use of 3D has really brought a movie to life. I sometimes wonder whether 3D is worth it at all? I believe there’s a time and a place for 3D…….and it does not always work. I would love to your thoughts on this in the comments?

While watching the movie, I did notice some strange scenes with Henry Cavill, which pointed to the use of CGI. What perplexed me was that the specific scenes were not ones which would normally require CGI. But I downplayed this for the rest of the movie, but it was something that still bothered me, and which I had to find out more about.

As it happens, Henry Cavill was shooting Mission Impossible 6 (MI6) at the same time as Justice League, and the MI6 role required a moustache. In the end, Warner Bros was forced to digitally remove Superman’s moustache, and the result is simply ridiculous and laughable. Like all movie mistakes, the internet has been abuzz with memes. Google is your friend (hint below)! A fake moustache for the MI6 role might have been more practical? Alas, Warner Bros didn’t get their way.

For the first proper DC superhero ensemble, where multiple new characters are introduced, one would have expected a little more backstory on these characters. The lack of backstory is clearly evident. In the end, the introduction of in the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg, feels rushed and the audience is none the wiser.

The introduction of Wonder Woman in a stand-alone movie proved the importance of the backstory, as she was the character the audience could connect with the most. It’s a shame that Aquaman (2018) and Cyborg (2020) did not precede Justice League.

The lack of the backstory makes the new characters two-dimensional, as there is a lack of depth or level of complexity to them. The audience cannot really connect with or sympathise with them.

There is however an abundance of light-hearted humour, thanks mainly to The Flash (Ezra Miller). And Ezra Miller is probably one of the few highlights in an otherwise dull movie.

Director Zach Snyder was replaced with Joss Whedon during filming, due to Snyder’s personal issues. And maybe that could be a reason why some scenes seem misplaced and illogical. Maybe Aquamans rescue scene might have been a better introduction for the character, instead of his scene with Bruce Wayne? I tend to think so anyway.

There is no doubt that there is so much potential within the DCEU. One only has to look at confirmed movies with release dates already scheduled:

Aquaman (2018)

Shazam (2019)

Wonder Woman 2 (2019)

Cyborg (2020)

Green Lantern Corps (2020)

This does not even take into account other DCEU movies that are in various stages of planning or development. These include Batgirl, The Batman, BlackAdam, Flashpoint, GothamCitySirens, Justice League Dark, Nightwing, Suicide Squad 2, Justice League 2 and Man of Steel 2.

With the two major movies (Batman v Superman & Justice League) not living up to expectation, it is time for DC and Warner Bros to intervene.

“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself – William Faulkner”

Christopher Nolan proved this with The Dark Knight Trilogy and it is absolutely riveting to watch, and one of my all-time favourites. DC and Warner Bros need to go back to the drawing board in order to try to resurrect the franchise, or risk forever being referred to as failed Marvel pretenders.